To the Permanent Delegations of the
States Parties to the Convention for the
Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural
Heritage
25 March 2024
Sector for Culture
The Assistant Director-General
and Secretary of the 2003 Convention a.i.
Ref: CLT/LHE/24/L-130
Dear Ambassador,
I am writing to invite your country to propose an expert in intangible cultural heritage
safeguarding who could be considered for participation in the forthcoming expert
meeting on safeguarding intangible cultural heritage and climate change.
The meeting will be convened in two parts:
• Part I (in person) from 19 to 20 June 2024 (UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, France)
• Part II (online) from 25 to 26 September 2024.
This meeting is organized as part of the thematic initiatives of the 2003 Convention for
the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, as established by the governing
bodies of the Convention (Resolution 9.GA 6 as well as Decisions 17.COM 13, 16.COM
5.b and 14.COM 10), and at the specific request of the eighteenth session of the
Intergovernmental Committee (Decision 18.COM 12). The outcomes of the meeting will
be presented to the nineteenth session of the Intergovernmental Committee (2 to 7
December 2024, Asunción, Republic of Paraguay).
Climate change, biodiversity loss and the rising number of hazards stand out as some
of the most critical challenges of our time, and while there is increasing awareness of
the impact of climate change on the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage of
communities, groups and individuals, living heritage may also provide a dynamic
repository of strategies that communities can draw on to mitigate and adapt to the effects
of climate change.
The overall aim of the meeting is to enhance understanding and to lay the groundwork
for contributing with proposals for States Parties and other relevant stakeholders as
regards the theme in question. The selected experts will bring in their expertise on the
roles and risks for intangible cultural heritage in the context of climate change, and the
challenges and opportunities for integrating intangible cultural heritage in climate change
and emergency frameworks.
The meeting is organized as a category VI meeting. According to UNESCO terminology,
this means that the experts will participate in a private capacity and not as
representatives of any particular government or organization. Moreover, the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
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recommendations made during the meeting will not be ascribed to any participant by
name.
For Part I of the meeting, UNESCO will purchase an economy class round-trip
transportation for selected experts to and from Paris, France, and provide a daily
subsistence allowance for a maximum of three nights, as well as terminal fares and visa
fees, if any.
I would be grateful if you could send the name and CV of an expert that your country
wishes to propose before 20 April 2024 to the following email address: ICH-
[email protected]. Please note that the recommendation of an expert does not
guarantee his or her participation in the expert meeting. The suggested experts will be
appointed by the Director-General of UNESCO, taking into account their profiles,
experience, geographical balance and gender.
Should you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact the
Secretariat at the above-mentioned address.
Thank you for your interest in the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible
Cultural Heritage
Yours sincerely,
Ernesto Ottone R.
cc: National Commissions of States Parties to the Convention for the
Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage
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